Xiaomi Redmi Note set
to launch in India at Rs 9,999: Here is all you need to know
Xiaomi has been wooing
audiences with its ‘value for money’ products and unique flash sales in
which devices fly off the shelves in seconds. After the popular Mi 3
and best selling Redmi 1s, the company is now all set to bring the Redmi Note
to the Indian market.
It was Hugo Barra who spilled the beans about Note
coming to India soon, and later Xiaomi India head, Manu Jain confirmed to tech2 that the device will come to
India in December. Without wasting much time, the
company quickly came up with a contest on Facebook, further hinting
that the Redmi Note is on the way.
With the device
rumoured to reach India next week, here’s all you need to know about the
Xiaomi Redmi Note.
Design and Display
With the Redmi Note,
Xiaomi plans to bring large screen experience on a budget for audiences.
The sub-Rs 10,000 device sports a large 5.5-inch HD display with 720 x
1280 pixels of resolution, and a pixel density that goes all the way up
to 267 ppi.
Weighing 199 grams, it
is slightly heavier than other popular devices that come with a 5.5-inch
display. The plastic -built device measures 154 x 78.7 x 9.5 mm. It comes
with a removable cover that can be swapped with other designs, but we
wonder if these covers will be made available in India.
OS
The Redmi Note runs
company’s proprietary MIUI, based on the rather older Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
It comes with drawerless home screens similar to iOS. You will also find
several themes and the Lite mode that makes it super-easy for people with
visual impairments or even for the tech challenged users. The company has
also released the new MIUI 6 that is based on Android KitKat, but heavily inspired by iOS 7. There is no word on
whether the Redmi Note will be getting the upgrade.
Processor
The Redmi Note is
powered by a ‘true’ octa-core Mediatek processor clocked at 1.6GHz and coupled
with 2GB RAM. The MediaTek MT6592 uses all eight cores at the same time.
Camera
This budget Note
offers a 13MP rear snapper with LED flash and auto focus. It also supports
1080p recording at 30fps. For selfies and video conferencing, one will also
find a 5MP front-facing camera. It comes with camera features like
geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection and HDR.
Connectivity
On the connectivity
front, one will find all the usual suspects including 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11
b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS and GLONASS.
Miscellaneous specs
The Redmi Note comes
with 8GB onboard storage that is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card slot.
There is support for sensors like accelerometer, gyro, proximity and
compass.
Pricing and
availability
It is confirmed that
the Redmi Note will be available in India next month. Though there is no
confirmation on the exact date, it is highly speculated to hit stores on
December 2. Xiaomi will be selling the Redmi Note in India for Rs 9,999.